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SHOW TIMES: OCT 3-4 AND 10-11 DOOR AT 7:00PM SHOWTIME 7:30PM

SUNDAY, OCT 12TH DOOR AT 1:30PM SHOWTIME 2:00PM

"Angels in America: Perestroika" is the second part of Tony Kushner's acclaimed play, "Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes." Continuing the narrative from "Millennium Approaches," this installment delves deeper into the lives of its characters against the backdrop of 1980s America, exploring themes of identity, politics, and the AIDS crisis.

Synopsis:

The play opens with Aleksii Antedilluvianovich Prelapsarianov, the world's oldest living Bolshevik, delivering a monologue in Moscow, criticizing the notion of progress without political theory. In New York, Prior Walter, now hospitalized due to AIDS-related complications, confides in his friend Belize about his encounter with an angel, who has proclaimed him a prophet. The angel reveals that Heaven resembles a deteriorating San Francisco, abandoned by God since the 1906 earthquake, and insists that humanity must cease moving to restore balance. 

Roy Cohn, a powerful lawyer in denial about his AIDS diagnosis, finds himself under the care of Belize. Using his influence, Roy secures a private stash of the experimental drug AZT, depriving other patients of potential treatment. As his condition worsens, he is haunted by the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg, whom he helped convict and execute years earlier. 

Joe Pitt, a closeted gay Mormon lawyer, begins a relationship with Louis Ironson, Prior's former partner. However, tensions arise when Louis discovers Joe's conservative legal decisions, leading to a violent confrontation that ends their affair. Meanwhile, Joe's wife, Harper, struggles with her own hallucinations and the realization of her husband's sexuality, ultimately deciding to leave New York for San Francisco in search of a new beginning. 

Prior wrestles with the angel, demanding the right to continue living and evolving despite the pain and uncertainty. He ascends to Heaven, confronts the council of angels, and rejects their message to halt human progress, emphasizing the necessity of change and movement for survival. Upon returning to Earth, Prior's health begins to improve, symbolizing hope and resilience. 

The play concludes in 1990, five years later, with Prior, Louis, Belize, and Hannah Pitt (Joe's mother) gathering at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. They reflect on the past, the ongoing challenges of the AIDS epidemic, and the enduring human spirit, reaffirming the importance of community, love, and the relentless pursuit of progress. 

"Perestroika" intricately weaves personal stories with broader societal issues, offering a poignant commentary on the complexities of change, faith, and the human condition during a pivotal era in American history.